Improvement in cutting attachments for sewing-machines



UNITED STATES Parana JOHN E. WIGGIN, on sronnHAM, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR To HUGH H. MAWHINNEY, on SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CUTTING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,525, dated June 3,1873; application filed March 29, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JoHN E. WIGGIN, of Stoneham, of the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and usefulinvention having reference to Sewing- Machines, whereby cloth may besewed and trimmed at one and the same time automatically; and I dohereby declare the same'to be fully described in the followingspecification Fig. 6 denotes a perspective view of a sewingmachine withmy cutting or trimming attach- Inent.

My invention relates to a sewin g-machine or its table and theneedle-passage thereof, provided With scissors or shears and mechanismfor operating them or one blade of them, so that the stitching or sewingand trimming of the cloth or work parallel with the line of sewing maybe accomplished automatically and simultaneously.

In the drawings, A denotes the table of a sewing-machine, andB theneedle'hole or passage in such table. In this case the said hole isrepresented as made through the table and in a plate, 0, separate fromthe table-top, but arranged in it or in a socket, a, made in it, theplate being confined in place by a set-screw,-b. Close to that part ofthe needle-hole which goes through the plate 0 there is raised on theplate a stationary shear or blade, D, to operate with a vibratory ormovable shear or blade, E, carried by an arm, 6, projecting fromarockershaft, F. The shaft F is supported in an adjustable box orbearing, G, arranged on the table in manner as shown and held to it byclamp-screws d d, which go through slots 6 e in the box, and are screwedinto the table, all being as represented. From the above it will be seenthat the box, being adjustable, admits of the shear E being moved up tooperate in close contact with the stationary shear D, however distantthe latter may be situated from the needle-hole.

The object of having the stationary shear fixed upon a movable plate, 0,and the movable shear or its shaft-box adjustable inmanner as described,is to enable another such perforated plate with its stationary shearsituated at a greater or less distance from the needlehole, to besubstituted and the movable shear to be duly adjusted to the stationaryshear of such substitute plate, as occasion may require.

As some kinds of work may need to be trimmed nearer to or further fromthe line of sewingthan others, I design to use a series of stationaryshear-plates, 0, having their several shears disposed at differentdistances from their needleholes. The lower shear may be fixed to aplate separate from the needle-hole carrier or plate and be adjustablethereon, so as to vary the distance of the needle-hole and shear.

From the rear end of the shaft F there projects an arm, H, formed andprovided with a notch, f, as represented. Furthermore, there extendsfrom the shaft F another arm, G,which turns freely 011 the shaftF and isslotted lengthwise at s to receive a screw, g, projecting from a lever,I, pivoted upon an eccentric, h, fixed upon the driving-shatt'i of theseWiHgmachine. The screw 9 goes through a bowed spring orfriction-brake, is, applied to one side of the arm G. A nut, l, screwedupon the screw 9 and against the brake or spring serves to regulate thepressure of the brake against the arm G.

Astudmz, extending from the lever I, as shown, may, by moving the lever,be moved either into or out of the notch f.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the lever I and itsoperative eccentric h, and showing the arm Gr.

WVhen the stud m is in the notch f and the driving-shaft is inrevolution a short reciprocating rotary motion will be imparted to theshaftF, whereby the movable shear will be alternately raised anddepressed, but when the stud is out of the notch no movement will beimparted to the shalt F. In order that the cloth or work may be fedalong as occasion may require for the production of the stitches, themovable shear should be raised preparatory to each advance of the clothand be depressed upon the cloth while the latter may be at rest, thecloth at the time being extended over the stationary blade or shear.Thus, while the sewing may be in the act of being performed, the clothor work will be cut or trimmed along its edge and in parallelism withthe range of stitches.

I am aware that it is not new to apply to the table of a sewing-machinea pair of scissors or shears to be operated automatically, such beingshown in the United States Patent 109,662, dated November 29, 1870,which, how- 7 ever, neither exhibits nor explains any arrangement of thecutting mechanism with the needle and its hole in the table, so as tocut or trim the cloth parallel to the range of sewing. during productionof the latter. I therefore make no claim to the invention described insuch patent.

I claim as my invention as follows, viz:

1. The movable shearE, its shaftFand shaftbox G, adjustable and fixed tothe table A by means as set forth, in combination with the stationaryshear D and its perforated plate 0, applied to the table in manner asexplained.

2. The combination of the eccentric lever I, the stud m, screw g, nut 1,spring k, slotted arm G, and notched arm H.

3. The combination of the shearshaftF and the eccentric h of thedriving-shaft with the eccentric lever I, the stud m, screw g, nut l,spring k, slotted arm G, and notched arm H, all constructed and arrangedsubstantially in manner and to operate as specified.

JOHN E. WIGGIN.

Witnesses: JOHN DEAN, SILAS DEAN.

